The Indiana Fever watched their 12-point second-half lead evaporate against the New York Liberty in an 83-75 defeat on Saturday night at Barclays Center.
After taking a 57-45 lead with over three minutes left in the third quarter, Indiana suffered a collapse that only compounded concerns about the team’s cohesion and Caitlin Clark’s growing pains.
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Caitlin Clark and the Fever Offense Falters Late Against the Liberty
Clark missed her first five shots of the night and struggled to find an early rhythm against New York’s aggressive perimeter defense. She finished with 10 points, 9 assists, and went 4-of-14 from the floor while battling foul trouble.
Kelsey Mitchell kept Indiana afloat for most of the contest with a team-high 21 points and 7 rebounds. She found gaps in the Liberty defense during the second and third quarters to keep the Fever ahead.
Monique Billings added 15 points, while Aliyah Boston chipped in 13 points and 9 rebounds.
However, it was Indiana’s disjointed offensive play in crucial moments of the game that cost the Fever, sparking fury from the WNBA world.
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Expressing their disappointment, one user wrote, “Indiana Fever have serious chemistry issues. I personally never thought Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell were natural fits together… You have no idea what you getting from this team anymore.”
The frustration came from the inconsistency that has plagued Indiana through the opening period of this season.
“There is no point in the Fever keeping Caitlin Clark. You can see that the player that was first team all WNBA is still in there in flashes. You can also see that Steph White’s system does NOT want that player that was first team all W in 2024,” another user bluntly claimed.
Earlier, a tense sideline exchange between Clark and head coach Stephanie White went viral during a blowout loss to the Portland Fire, raising questions about locker-room harmony.
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One more user urged the franchise to trade the Fever star, posting, “I’m done with this bullsh*t. If you don’t want Caitlin Clark’s system then trade her. She is not a top 10 player in your system. She’s the best offensive player ever in her system. How many bad shooting nights r we gonna ignore. ITS THE DAMN SYSTEM!!”
Despite Clark’s reassurances about her chemistry with White, the on-court production in crunch time remains a glaring issue.
The Fever offense stalled when New York tightened its defense in the fourth quarter, forcing Indiana into late-game fouls that prevented them from gaining any rhythm down the stretch.
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“Caitlin Clark bad games legit be the worst display of basketball ever,” another account wrote.
Playing without Sabrina Ionescu (back soreness), the Liberty saw Breanna Stewart dominate the physical matchup, scoring 30 points and going 18-for-21 from the free-throw line.
Using her size and veteran savvy to bait the Fever frontcourt into fouls, Stewart shot more free throws than the entire Indiana roster and helped spark the decisive 19-4 run in the fourth quarter.
While Stewart got the Liberty its fourth consecutive win, the loss drops the Fever to an even 5-5 on the season.
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Currently in third place in the Eastern Conference, Indiana has no time to dwell as it faces a physical Washington Mystics side on Monday.
